I discovered Michael Nyman when he made a recording of his composition "Decay Music" for Brian Eno's Obscure Records. A few years later I really got into his music due to his soundtrack work for British filmmaker Peter Greenaway. Before I purchased those recordings, "The Kiss and Other Movements" was the first album of his that wasn't part of someone else's series (Eno) or film (Greenaway). Although I do believe some of the music here was used for Greenaway's short films. Still, I have heard of speed metal, but Nyman struck me as speed classical. Which is a stupid observation but without a doubt, his music was so different from anyone else's at the time. Also to my ears, it was very British sounding. Eccentric comes to mind, but then there is Nyman's great talent for melodies. He writes melodies that I can sort of hum in the shower or bath.
His work is majestic and builds up like one adding one block on top of another, and then there is the fear that the whole structure will topple down. That's the thrill of hearing his tightly controlled, and performed musical pieces. "The Kiss" is an album that is a great entrance to the Nyman aesthetic, and the mixture of strings, horns, and a very aggressive electric bass almost gives it a Who type of intensity. Nyman is a brilliant composer, and over the years, I have purchased many of his albums on CD, mostly in Japan. For some odd reason or another, at the time, it was easy to find Nyman's work in a big music store in Tokyo. For those who are fans of "Music of Penguin Cafe" (another Eno Obscure Records release) will find Nyman as a suitable companion.
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